Dr Jolanta Próchniewicz, a psychologist and theologian, gained notoriety in 2020 when she delivered a lecture in Wrocław titled "Confusion Surrounding Gender. Homosexuality: A Verdict or a Choice?", as reported by the weekly "Gość Niedzielny". Among other things, she argued that "homosexuality is an attraction to people of the same sex, and gayness is the acceptance and fulfilment of this attraction." She also claimed that sexual orientation can be changed.

On 13 June, Dr. Jolanta Próchniewicz was scheduled to give a lecture at the Faculty of Physics of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. This time, the lecture's title was less controversial: "Gender, Sexuality, and Sexuality: How to Understand and Experience Them?". In response, students of Adam Mickiewicz University sent a letter to the chancellor, Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska, expressing their opposition to promoting anti-scientific content at their university.

The students also published an open letter to the authorities of the Faculty of Physics. They wrote, "As an academic community, we express our indignation and strong objection to Dr. Jolanta Próchniewicz's invitation to speak at the 'Faith and Reason' seminar on 13 June at the Faculty of Physics of Adam Mickiewicz University."

They added that Dr Próchniewicz "in her articles, publications, and interviews, has repeatedly made statements about LGBT+ people that are demeaning, pathologising, and inconsistent with current scientific knowledge."

Non-heteronormative sexual orientation is not classified as a disorder by any psychological or psychiatric criteria. Conducting conversion therapy, which aims to 'change' someone’s sexual and/or romantic orientation, contradicts the scientific knowledge psychologists receive at university.

The World Health Organisation has clearly stated that conversion therapy can "result in serious adverse psychological effects for those subjected to such interventions." Any form of 'treatment' for homosexuality is already outright banned in 13 countries, including Belgium, France, Spain, Canada, Germany, and Norway.

University of Adam Mickiewicz spokeswoman Małgorzata Rybczyńska told the gloswielkopolski.pl website that Dr. Próchniewicz's lecture will not take place. She stated: "Due to the controversy and comments, the lecture entitled ‘Gender, Sexuality, and Sexuality: How to Understand and Experience Them?’ has been cancelled. This decision was made by the Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Professor Roman Gołębiewski, after a discussion with the initiators of the cycle within which the lecture was to take place."

Source: gloswielkopolski.pl